SarahIf you are thinking about traveling to Japan, you probably already heard about the JR Railpass and the incredible benefits that it offers to Tourists traveling with the Shinkansen. Since there are numerous articles about how it works online, I want to focus on an itinerary suggestion for the North-East of Japan – a generally less traveled region.
For this, I advise you not to get the full JR Railpass (7 consecutive days) but a modified version: The JR East-South Hokkaido Railpass!
The difference is, that it only covers the region of this itinerary, but is slightly cheaper (27.0000¥ instead of 33.000¥) and is valid for flexible 6 days in a 14 day period – giving you more flexibility to stay longer in one place!
So here’s my suggested itinerary:
Table of Contents
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1) Tokyo (Airport) to Sapporo (~8h)
This is a rather long journey as the Shinkansen does not yet run until Sapporo (it will in 2020, reducing the travel time to ~4:30h), so you need to change in Hakodate to the much slower limited express train.
Another option would be to fly to Sapporo, which is quicker and gives you an extra train day on your rail pass to explore the Greater Tokyo region on a day trip or do some of the awesome things you can do in Tokyo!. The JR East-South Hokkaido Railpass is also valid on the JR express trains from the Airport directly!
Make sure you have a power bank with you (or an adapter so that you can use your phone during the journey and these other 10 must-have items to take to Japan!
And Sapporo is worth the long journey! It’s a city famed for its winter activities but also really beautiful to visit in spring and autumn! 😊 If you want to know more – don’t forget my post on Top Things to do in Sapporo
2) Sapporo – Hakodate (~3:45h)
Hakodate was one of the first cities in Japan to trade with the West and thus has an interesting mix of European and Japanese architecture. It’s fairly small and easy to walk – and the star-shaped fort of Goryakaku is a pretty one too!
3) Hakodate – Kakunodate (~4:30h)
Kakunodate is a small town with a rich samurai history and lots of old buildings preserved from this era. It is sometimes called “Little Kyoto” and offers you to see traditional Japan without all the crowd that Kyoto comes with!
So this place for sure needs to be part of your itinerary with your JR East-South Hokkaido Railpass!
4) Kakunodate – Takaragawa Onsen (~4:30)
A visit to the North-East of Japan is not complete without staying at a Ryokan and visiting an Onsen!
Unfortunately for couples, most Onsens are nowadays gender-separated (in fact they weren’t in ancient Japan, this is due to western influence) – luckily Takaragawa Onsen is different! 3 out of its 4 rotemburo (outside onsen) are gender-mixed – and they are huge! Actually, the Ryokan claims it’s the biggest onsen in Japan at all!
And if this isn’t enough: it is one of the few Ryokans that has an English website, and where staff is used to western customers. Plus, you can book them on booking.com – but first, read more about it in my full review of the Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku Ryokan!
And of course, it is easy to reach with the JR East-South Hokkaido Railpass!
5) Takaragawa Onsen to Tokyo
Well, that was not surprising – visiting Tokyo is a must!
Plan around five days in Tokyo as the city is huge (it’s actually more a conglomerate of multiple cities) and there is so much to see!
The most visited parts for Tourist would be Asakusa (a traditional district with lots of Izkayas), Roppongi (lots of entertainment), Harajuku (fancily dressed people, go on the weekend to see the Lolitas stroll the city), Shinjuku (modern shopping centers) and Akihabara (electronics)
And you can dress up in a Kimono if you want!
Read: Geisha for one day – Kimono Rental Yae in Tokyo
6) Day Trip from Tokyo or use it to get back to the Airport
You still have one day on your ticket that you can use to explore the surrounding area of greater Tokyo on a day trip (e.g. to Mt.Fuji or to further Onsens at e.g. Hakone) – or you simply use it to go back to the airport! 🙂
I hope this article will help you to enjoy the North-East of Japan! If you have any questions (e.g. where to stay) – just shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram!
